Tableprayer: The Names of God

For as long as people have lived, we have wondered and dreamed
And recognized there is something older, greater, wiser than we mortals,
And we have given this something many names:

Eternal One
Creator
Ruler
Adonai
Lord
Almighty

And we have dared to say God, the name that is no name.

All of these names we have given to God;
If God has a name, God has not shared it with us.

We have tried to live in relation with this nameless someone,
This God, who we cannot see or hear,
And yet still calls to us.

Long ago and far from here
There was born one of us who claimed to speak for God,
Who dared call God Father.

We called him Yeshua, Jesus,
Son of Joseph and Mary,
Son of Adam,
Son of Man,
Son of God.

He taught in parables and stories,
He healed the sick,
He was above no one, 
open to everyone he encountered.

In his teaching, in his way of living,
We saw clearly, finally,
What God is really like.

He lived and taught as he did, knowing full well
That such teaching and such a way of life
Is intolerable to early power;
Knowing full well the end that would lead to.

On his final night with his friends
He took bread
Said the blessing that was always said
And told his friends to take the bread and eat
Because the bread was his body.
He said to remember him when we bless and eat.

Then taking the cup of wine
He said the blessing for the cup
And said to take and drink
Because the wine was his blood.
He said to remember him when we bless and drink.

So now we remember his words and actions
And we take wine and bread,
We says the blessings,
And share them with each other,
Share them with the world.

We remember.

For as long as people have lived
We have recognized something greater than ourselves
Present, active, alive in the world,
Inspiring and changing us.
We have called this something

Breath
Wind
Ruach
Spirit

We have recognized that she too is God.
We ask that she will move among us,
Inspire us,
Form us,
Guide us.

We are grateful for our lives, 
For our place in all the generations,
Grateful that we have encountered God, 
Encountered Jesus, 
Encountered the Spirit.

Let us in turn live so that we are for each other
And for the world
An encounter with God, Jesus, Spirit.

Amen

May 2025